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Health
31-23-32
Equals a Big Zero
by Surekha Kadapa-Bose
Many a time
young Indians have been influenced by the unreasonable lifestyle, food
habits and crazy fads of the West. The latest to hit them is the size
zero body. Boosting the cravings of this group of women, aged between 15
and 35 years, are leading Hindi cinema actresses, Kareena Kapoor and
Aishwarya Rai, and, of course, fashion designers who prefer to showcase
creations on size-zero models.
It all started with Aishwarya Rai - whose net popularity skyrocketed
with her marriage into the Bachchan family - dropping oodles of weight
for the blockbuster, 'Dhoom II'. However, even as posters of her
sculpted body created a buzz in the media, they never really kicked off
a weight loss trend. After all, Rai - a former Miss World - was meant to
have the unattainable perfect figure.
But with the hitherto healthy Punjabi 'kudi' (girl) Kareena
Kapoor - whose cinematic 'khaandan' (family) is known to relish
non-vegetarian fare - shedding those extra pounds to gain long beanpole
legs, hollow cheeks and a concave-shaped tummy (displayed ever so
blatantly in her latest flick 'Tashan') - size zero has finally
arrived.
Kapoor's apparent size zero bod - reportedly a result of a sustained
diet of cabbage and apples - has definitely catapulted her to dizzying
heights. Suddenly the media, college-going youngsters and even
middle-aged moms are discussing Kapoor and her latest weight drop, with
dreams of attaining the proportionate nothingness!
So what is size zero? It's a women's clothing size according to the US
catalogue sizes system that is the equivalent of an UK size 4 or an
Europe size 32-34. It is also a concept within the fashion media
relating to models with low body mass.
Thus, being a size zero means having a 31.5 "(bust) - 23" (waist) - 32"
(hip), or simply being able to fit into a pair of 22-inch waistline
jeans.
To look like their favorite star, young women are willing to go to any
extent - dangerous crash diets, strenuous exercise routines and
starvation - so much so that many end up as classic cases of eating
disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia.
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by low body weight and body image
distortion with an obsessive fear of gaining weight. A recurrent binge
eating, followed by compensatory behavior, referred to as "purging",
like self-induced vomiting, the use of laxatives, diuretics, and so on,
characterizes bulimia.
"These girls and even boys don't realize the irreparable damage this
causes to their bodies, especially the bone mass," says a very worried
Dr D. Srinivas, a well-known orthopedic surgeon and consultant, attached
to InLak and Shushruti Hospitals in Mumbai. Srinivas is concerned, as
the number of patients coming to him with complaints of bone affiliated
ailments has risen considerably, with most belonging to the vulnerable
age group of 15 to 35 years.
He explains that after the age of 17 for young women and 18 for men, the
body stops growing physically. It then starts accumulating bone mass
till around the age of 30-35 years. It is this mass that acts as a
protection from osteoporosis and other bone-related ailments later in
life.
Reckless lifestyles and thoughtless diet choices hinder this body
function. "Bone mass is like a huge bank balance, which if not
accumulated properly can cause havoc at a later age," he cautions.
Mumbai-based Neesha Maria Bukht, a registered dietician and an
International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) fitness expert, agrees.
She says that there are dubious dieticians who promise to help
youngsters reduce weight within a few days or weeks. "The unknowing
clients are not told about the dangerous effects a severe diet will have
on the bone mass or density of the body," reveals Bukht, who heads the
Talwalkars Training Academy which provides cutting-edge programming and
educational information to aspiring fitness professionals.
The hurried measures taken to achieve the coveted weight can lead to
other serious problems. Hair loses its sheen and the skin, its
elasticity. Stamina is depleted and this leads in turn to mood swings.
In severe cases, depression sets in. Irregular menstrual cycles
resulting in temporary ovulation problems and, of course, osteoporosis
are the more serious consequences.
"Drastic weight loss may not cause permanent damage but temporarily the
ovulation will be affected. The reproductive system has the capacity to
regain its normal functioning. But it all depends on the age of the
woman, the extent to which the body has been damaged and how healthy the
other organs are," says Dr Partho Guha Roy, a consulting gynecologist.
Mumbai-based fashion designer Anita Dongre admits, "Designers do create
collections that are worn by thin models at fashion shows and shoots,
because that adds to the look of the creation." But she is quick to add,
"That does not mean that we are encouraging young girls to be the same
size."
She acknowledges that the fashion industry wields great influence over
youngsters and often shapes the way young women feel about themselves.
"Teenage girls aspire to look like their role models. If their role
models are healthy it will help inspire girls to be the same. But it is
also true that all thin women aren't unhealthy. Designers prefer thin
models with glowing skin and lovely hair, which is not possible to get
if one tries dangerous methods of losing weight," says Dongre.
Losing weight slowly by maintaining correct BMI (Body Mass Index)
doesn't affect health. "Diet and exercise should be controlled in such a
way that only 0.5 to two kilograms is lost per month. Not more. And at
all times the minimum BMI should be monitored. A BMI of less than 18.5
is not good," warns Bukht.
"It is important to educate young girls who, under the thrall of
fashion, either starve or force themselves to throw up, to follow a
healthy lifestyle. Dieting is not bad, but starving takes a sure toll on
the body. I think it is awful the way women and young girls are slotted
by society because of their weight. There are more important things to
worry about than one's body weight," says Dongre.
"And the worst part is that youngsters who come to me with bone related
complaints don't realize the root cause of their ailments is their
obsession with losing weight. They refuse to believe that they are
suffering from osteoporosis and need to eat properly," reveals Srinivas.
Bukht admits that Kareena Kapoor, who reportedly weighs only 48 kilos,
as against her ideal minimum weight of 55 kilos, may start developing
problems. "And the side effects of achieving size zero within a short
period of time are universal. One has to understand that there is no
magic pill to lose weight. It has to be done in a controlled way," she
says.
May 18,
2008
By arrangement with
WFS
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